** UNEDITED**

It felt like the tension in the room had skyrocketed. Even Griffin felt tense behind me, and I rested my hand on his knee to calm him slightly. His hand covered mine, and he gently rubbed my knuckles, comforting me. I slightly wished I had accepted Griffin's offer for something more potent than simply water in my glass.

"Alena, have we met before? Griffin told us that you were the Delta of the Riverkeepers," King Brennan asked, resting his glass on his knee.

"I was the Delta of the Riverkeepers, along with my brother Damir. He was most likely the one you interacted with most, but yes, I do believe we've met on multiple occasions." I smiled, sipping my water. Griffin's hand squeezed mine, signaling that I gave the correct answer.

Queen Lux looked slightly confused. "You appear too young to be in a Delta position."

"I'm barely eighteen," I laughed. "You are correct to assume I'm too young. I began taking on tasks at seventeen, but my brother began taking the heavy load of delta work when I was sixteen, and he was nineteen." Griffin grasped my hand tightly. "My parents died when I was sixteen."

"We are so sorry to hear that, Alena."

I shrugged. "My pack lost a lot that night, but Damir threw himself into work, and it was a smooth transition. Only people who knew the Riverkeepers leadership team well knew the shift of power from father to son."

The king nodded. "Riverkeepers has been lucky to have you as their delta. Speaking of positions, you are now the Alpha of the Frostclaws and the Luna princess." He looked gently in my direction. "Griffin told us that he and the elders have decided on a title for you, but he hasn't told us quite yet."

"Mom, Dad, Alena has been decided as the AlphaLuna, retaining both roles as my mate and princess and as the Alpha of Frostclaw." Griffin smiled and squeezed my hand. "As the first one in history, it was a bit of work getting the elders to decide on a single title, but they seemed quite content with it."

"It's not our place to approve or deny it because the elders' decision goes above our heads. Regardless we are glad to have you as part of our family, Alena." Queen Lux said.

"Thank you, Queen Lux."

"Please, Alena, don't be afraid to call us mom and dad, or just Lux and Brennan. As a royal, there are no formalities necessary." I blushed and nodded at King Brennan's words.

"Our names mean the same thing, Lux," I spoke softly, and she tilted her head towards me. "They both mean light. Yours is French, and mine is Slavic." I smiled.

"Damir tells me that my dear love has a bit of an obsession with names."

My jaw dropped, and I swiveled to face my mate. "It is not an obsession, and I'll be sure to make sure Damir knows it." I turned back towards Brennan and Lux. "I find names interesting, especially the ones that tell stories or are a bit ironic." I smiled. "Names related to mythology are my favorite, probably because my mother named my wolf after a Norse goddess."

"I named Griffin's after a Norse god."

I grinned widely, becoming more comfortable in conversation. "And in the myths, our two end up married. Odin and Skadi."

"The goddess of winter and wolves." Brennan smiled. "Your mother was a brilliant woman."

"I like to think so too." My cheeks turned up in a sad smile. "Please, excuse me for just a second. I need to run to the restroom." I set my glass on a coaster on the gorgeous wood coffee table, then stood and made my way to the bedroom. I walked through the bedroom and into our private bathroom. I went to the bathroom and took care of my business, then stared at myself in the mirror after washing my hands.

I can do this. I'm through the hard, awkward part. I ran my hands across my face, smoothed my hair down, then walked out of the bathroom and back to the living room. I took my spot next to Griffin again and leaned against his chest, nearly laying on him while still sitting up. His chin rested on my shoulder as he listened to his dad talk about a ceremony of sorts.

"Alena, we'll need to begin planning an AlphaLuna ceremony and figuring everything out. A new laptop and everything you need for a desk will be set up in the next couple of days, and Griffin will be able to help you with planning that." Lux said, looking pointedly at Griffin.

I nodded. "Thank you. I was just telling Griffin that we would need another desk here."

"We only have one more concern. Then we'll be out of your hair, or the rest of the evening, we promise." Brennan said. "You technically are ranked above Griffin. With being in a new mate relationship and finding new powers, it can be tough to grow together, especially while you're trying to live life out normally."

I nodded but let Griffin's dad continue.

"If you ever need to talk, Lux and I would always be willing to talk and calm your anxieties."

"That truly does mean a lot." I teared up slightly. "I'll make sure to give you a call if I need anything."

"Thank you. Griffin, can you walk us out?"

Griffin stood and walked his parents to the door. They stepped out onto the porch, and while they talked, I gathered the empty glasses and took them to the kitchen. I placed them in the dishwasher, along with the plates and silverware from lunch, and started the cycle after adding detergent.

Griffin soon joined me back in the house, and he wrapped his arms around my waist. "Want to come to sit on the back porch with me, my love?" I nodded. My nerves were all over the place, and some fresh air sounded excellent. He led me into the pantry, which confused me greatly, until I saw the door on the other side, which led toward the backyard. He opened the door, and it led to an adorable screened-in porch.

"This place is full of surprises." I grinned and settled onto the porch swing with Griffin.

~~

Over the next few days, I spent a lot of time on the porch. Griffin and I started every morning with coffee on the porch, and I spent a lot of time calling Riverkeepers and making arrangements from the porch. We finally got my desk in, and Griffin and I decided to make one of the extra bedrooms into an office. We traded the day bed for a couch and pushed our two 'L' shaped desks together next to the big window. We faced each other while working most of the time, and it made communicating about our plans for my ceremony much more manageable.

"Does my being Alpha make you the Second Alpha of Frostclaw?" I asked humorously.

"I don't think so, my love. I think I'll just be the Prince if that's okay with you."

"As long as I can be your Princess."

"My dearest Princess AlphaLuna." He grinned, walked around our desks to kiss me.

We had gotten much closer over the past few days. Griffin seemed almost too comfortable with the fact that I was higher ranked than he was, and I was doing a lot of work, sending lots of emails, and making lots of phone calls. Tomorrow was dress fittings for the ceremony and a meeting with a hairdresser to get my hair dealt with.

"What day is it, Griff?"

"Wednesday, my love. Why?"

I stood, picking up my phone. "Calliope is going to come over today before she leaves for her pack. I need to get changed and order some food or find something to make."

Griffin nodded. "I'll call and order pizza. Calliope loves meat-lovers pizza."

I squinted at him.

"Love, you talked about it yesterday. I'm not just learning these random things about your best friends." He laughed, holding me to his chest.

I sighed. "I'm sorry."

I turned to walk away, but he pulled me back. He dipped his head and pressed his lips against mine. I leaned into his kiss but pulled back.

"Don't be sorry, love. I'm not upset. I understand the feeling." He rubbed my back. "Go call Calliope and get ready; I'll order pizza." I nodded and kissed him quickly before taking off toward the bedroom.

Wolves were lucky. We didn't have to worry about dating or engagement or marriage. Being in a mate pairing automatically had you set for this person, and there was no stigma against living with your mate, even right away. Of course, Damir was protective and wanted us to stay separate, but we shrugged off his begging.

I scrolled through my contacts until I found Calliope's name, then pushed the call button. The phone didn't ring for long before she answered.

"What's up, AlphaLuna?"

"Friendship call, Calliope! I just wanted to make sure you're still coming over. Griff is ordering pizza, and I'm getting ready to change and look somewhat presentable."

Calliope's laugh rang through the phone. "I'll be there in less than an hour, Alena. And you can stay comfy if you want. I don't care."

I rolled my eyes. "We haven't had visitors since Griff's parents came to visit. I need to get out of these pajamas. I'll see you soon!"

"Definitely! Bye!"

I hung up then made my way to our bedroom. The sheer size of the closet still amazed me, but I quickly made my way to where I stored my leggings. After finding a comfortable grey pair and a plain tank top, I made my way to Griffin's side of the room and grabbed one of his hoodies. Next, I grabbed clean underwear and a bra and made my way back into the bedroom.

"Griff, I'm going to get a shower. Calliope will be here in less than an hour, and I need to freshen up before she gets here."

He came to the doorway of the bedroom. "Okay, dear. I'll be in the office if you need me."

I walked into the bathroom and made my way to the walk-in shower, quickly turning it on to the perfect temperature. I pulled off my dirty clothes, throwing them in the hamper and hopping in the shower. I washed my hair then pulled the conditioner through it. Next, I put soap on my loofa, scrubbing my body. After I rinsed, I grabbed my razor and shaved my armpits, then rinsed again. Finally, I turned the water off and grabbed a towel from the pile outside the shower door.

The fluffy grey towel dried me well; then, I pulled on the clothes I had laid out for myself. I ran a brush through my hair and pulled it into a bun. I washed my face and wiped down my sink, then left and walked out to the living room where Calliope sat.

"Calliope, I'm so glad you're here!" I exclaimed, walking to join her on my couch.

"I'm glad I got to visit before I left for home." She grinned, hugging me tightly. "This is an adorable little place you have here, Alena."

"Griff already had it designed and finished before he even knew about me. He's in the office, the only room we've remodeled. Wanna come see it?"

"I would love to," Calliope responded, and I led her to the office. Griffin was staring at his computer when we walked in, most likely responding to emails, and looked up.

"Hello, ladies! Welcome to the AlphaLuna and Alpha office, design courtesy of Miss Alena herself."

Calliope looked around. "Wow, Alena, this is cute."

A knock sounded at the door, and Griffin hopped up. "That is our food. I'll go grab it." He kissed my head and made his way out of the office.

"So, do you have a mark yet?" Calliope asked bluntly yet shyly, like a teenage girl wanting to get the latest gossip.

My eyes widened, and I covered my mouth with my hand. "Oh my, Calliope, no."

Calliope grinned, a devilish sort of grin. "From what I hear from Prince Griffin's friends, he's ready."

My heart dropped. "Griff hasn't said anything to me about it yet." I frowned.

Calliope grabbed my hand. "Maybe he's waiting for the right time. Come on, I smell pizza, and I know it's going to be delicious. There's something so special about royal food. It's not fair."